Cracked Dash Wood Trim Because of Cold Ambient Temperature?
01-31-2011, 08:23 AM
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Came out to my car this morning and noticed a vertical crack in the passenger side dash wood trim piece. I am in Boston now, dealer says he has heard of this before created by temperature swings (particularly on the low end). Had the car in NJ for 3 years with no problem, this winter has been cold though....
First quote to replace the piece is $400 BUT I am being told that it is unlikely to match since there are variations in the "dye" lots for the trim. I can understand sun fading but significant variations in the production of the trim doesn't seem right. Dealer is advising to either not replace or replace all pieces together (quoting ~$2000) which I am not going to do.
So a few questions for the wise people on this site:
1. Has anyone else heard of this cracking issue caused by the cold?
2. Is the claim of "dye" lot variation accurate?
3. Anyone have experience in replacing the trim pieces with aftermarket components? sites and recommendations are welcomed
4. I see some sites that sell vinyl covers for the trim in a variety of colors, anyone have experience with these?
Thanks for the help!
First quote to replace the piece is $400 BUT I am being told that it is unlikely to match since there are variations in the "dye" lots for the trim. I can understand sun fading but significant variations in the production of the trim doesn't seem right. Dealer is advising to either not replace or replace all pieces together (quoting ~$2000) which I am not going to do.
So a few questions for the wise people on this site:
1. Has anyone else heard of this cracking issue caused by the cold?
2. Is the claim of "dye" lot variation accurate?
3. Anyone have experience in replacing the trim pieces with aftermarket components? sites and recommendations are welcomed
4. I see some sites that sell vinyl covers for the trim in a variety of colors, anyone have experience with these?
Thanks for the help!
01-31-2011, 09:30 AM
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My Ride: F11 535i M-Sport,, Silver, Black Leather, LED Adaptive headlights
Model Year: 2015
Engine: N55
I can only comment on aspect 2. The dealer is right, wood veneers can vary in shade between batches quite a lot, they make every attempt to keep them similar but wood is a natural material and different pieces take dyes differently.
01-31-2011, 11:39 AM
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My Ride: BMW
Model Year: 2006
Or, you can replace all your pieces with the Aluminum Cubed, Aluminum, or Titanium trims. Less than $1000 and use the DIY trim replacement as a guide. 
01-31-2011, 11:41 AM
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Location: Originally from Koeln, Deutschland. Enjoying it in Bonita Springs, Florida Now :)
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Yea I heard of someone who had aftermarket CF trim and EVERY SINGLE piece had a crack after a cold night.
My suggestion is Di-NOC CF Wrap
My suggestion is Di-NOC CF Wrap
01-31-2011, 12:13 PM
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Thanks for the replies and suggestion, I like the look of the CF and aluminum wraps. How is the durability? While the dash just sits there, door handles get some use
I have to do my homework on this and see if I can find a good installer in the Boston area
I have to do my homework on this and see if I can find a good installer in the Boston area
01-31-2011, 12:23 PM
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My Ride: Bmw 530d 2004
I've had my wraps for few months now and they've been through some extreme temperatures too (-30°C), and they are completely fine. There's no anykind of signs of wearing and they sit tight.
- Antti -
- Antti -
01-31-2011, 01:55 PM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
If you do go with the OEM replacement, I wouldn't worry too much about the shade being exact. You won't really tell the difference. I had the passenger door handle wood trim replaced twice on my e46 under warranty, and both pieces we close enough that I never thought a thing about it. And, I'm super picky btw.
01-31-2011, 02:58 PM
#9
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+1 on wrap. I did it too and took about 4 hours from disassembly, wrap, to reinstallation. First time I ever touched Vinyl. When the dealership replaced my windshield the other day they they were confused because it was very OEM and a few techs asked me where they can get these pieces. I almost didn't have the heart to tell them but did offer to do it for them at a rate competitive to that of a stealership...payback of course. LOL
Antti I just noticed you did the inside of your cubby hole! And your HVAC control knobs are completely different than U.S.
Antti I just noticed you did the inside of your cubby hole! And your HVAC control knobs are completely different than U.S.
01-31-2011, 05:51 PM
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My Ride: 2004 530i
I can't help with the explanation..but I can help with the potential remedy(s).
I have the poplar wood in my '04 (older batch of wood)...and about three months after I bought the car in Las Vegas (hot and dry) the wood in the dashboard cracked while on a weekend trip to So. Cal. (perfect weather) - crazy. When I bought the car the center console was cracked between the 'idrive home' button and the edge.
Long story short; I replaced both pieces from two seperate vendors on E-bay for a couple hundred dollars. Center piece was really easy to replace (just clips and about 3 minutes) and the center piece I had the dealer do ( I did not want to mess with the idrive and shifter knob). All pieces fit fine and look matching under all kinds of lighting. BMW does a great job keeping the consistency of the product I think.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
I have the poplar wood in my '04 (older batch of wood)...and about three months after I bought the car in Las Vegas (hot and dry) the wood in the dashboard cracked while on a weekend trip to So. Cal. (perfect weather) - crazy. When I bought the car the center console was cracked between the 'idrive home' button and the edge.
Long story short; I replaced both pieces from two seperate vendors on E-bay for a couple hundred dollars. Center piece was really easy to replace (just clips and about 3 minutes) and the center piece I had the dealer do ( I did not want to mess with the idrive and shifter knob). All pieces fit fine and look matching under all kinds of lighting. BMW does a great job keeping the consistency of the product I think.
Good luck in whatever you decide.